There Went the Neighborhood

Seminyak Community Leaders Complain About Security and Hooliganism in Their Bali Community.

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(9/18/2010)

Local citizens in the Seminyak area of Kuta are making their voices heard to Bali's new chief of police, General Hadiatmoko, complaining about noise pollution, commercial sex workers and hooliganism.

In a public meeting to allow the people of Seminyak to meet with Bali's top cop, local citizens called for better law enforcement and security in their home neighborhood.

As reported in Nusa Bali, at the meeting held on Wednesday, September 15, 2010, the traditional leader (Bendesa Adat) of Seminyak, I Wayan Mara, told Hadiatmoko how Seminyak in general and Jalan Camplung Tanduk in particular, is now crowded with bars that operate as discotheques. As a result, local residents are disturbed by loud sound systems that blare music until the morning hours.

Efforts by village security officials and law enforcement who have issued warnings and recommendations have had little effect on reducing the noise levels.

Another local resident, I Nyoman Sudana, told of the presence of commercial sex workers, many of whom are transvestites, who disturb Seminyak women traveling to the morning market. In this case, local security workers have been powerless in stopping the problem, able to do little more than ask the identity of those causing the disturbance.

Sudana told General Hadiatmoko: "As local officials we are not bold enough to take action. Because of this, we ask advice from you, Sir, on how to handle this problem," said Sudana.

In addition to disturbances caused by transvestites, Sudana share his concern about increased hooliganism in Seminyak. Added Sudana: "Our citizens are worried about the growing criminality attributed to gangs of hooligans. We are worried that this situation will only continue."

Made Sukadana, the head of a Seminyak community association aid security in Seminyak must be improved through the establishment of additional police posts and higher staffing of police officers to allow local citizens to feel safe and secure.

Sukadana told the Chief of Police that the people of Seminyak have set up security posts in three locations: Jalan Sunset Road. Jalan Kunti and Jalan Camplung Tanduk.

In response, General Hadiatmoko promised that he would handle all the concerns tabled at the community meeting. As regards the problem of transvestites, he asked the village officials to leave this matter to his officers to handle. He promised that following coordination with provincial officials his officers would try to counsel the transvestites (waria) and, if that didn't work, his department would take sterner action.

On the problem of hooliganism, Hadiatmoko said his office would never compromise with predatory hooligans.

Hadiatmoko closed the meeting by calling for closer cooperation between the Bali police and the public create safe and secure communities.